Scattershot
by Alley Cat Sunflower
Summary: Semi-AU. Separated from the Shinsengumi and surrounded by enemy soldiers, Chizuru is certain she's going to die… until Shiranui rescues her. He may offer to accompany her to Edo, but that doesn't mean they'll always see eye to eye. Can she reawaken his faith in humanity, or will he convince her to leave her friends behind just like they abandoned her? I do not own Hakuōki!
1. Lost and Found

_If the dialogue and narrative seems familiar, several passages are paraphrased and/or quoted from various routes. Those parts don't belong to me; I'm just borrowing them.  
_

* * *

You're weightless for a few moments, lost in a nightmare—and then you hit the ground, and remember.

It's evening. Was it this dark when the world exploded? Or is that just your vision, still dim and bleary from unconsciousness? Blinking to clear your sight, you look up in time to see a wall collapse in flame, and your heart almost stops at the realization that you're still in danger. You have to get out of here! You stagger to your feet, looking around frantically for Inoue. He was there with you when the cannonball hit, but now he's nowhere to be found.

You stumble over to the wall as fast as you can, barely registering the motion at first—your legs functional but strangely numb. However, your relief at finding no one trapped beneath the wreckage is soon replaced by anxiety. The only sound you can hear is the hungry crackling of the flames, getting louder by the second.

"I need to get out of here," you say aloud, hoarsely, fear gripping your stomach. You've been abandoned, left for dead. Didn't Shiranui say this would happen, only a few nights ago? _They're probably thinking about how they're gonna get rid of you right now_ … All around you, gunshots echo through the night as if he's firing every one of them, mocking you for your trust in humans.

You shake loose these thoughts from your head and start running in a desperate attempt to clear your head. The city is too dangerous, which means your best option is the only slightly less perilous forest. Veering away from the burning houses, you run as fast as you can for Yodo Castle. That's where the Shinsengumi is going, right?

The forest at night is frightening enough, but your isolation makes it utterly terrifying. To keep your mind off the panic, you tell yourself over and over again that everything will be fine once you reach Yodo Castle, but you've been moving at a brisk pace for long enough that your legs and chest are starting to burn from the exertion. You barely know where you are, and you're practically exhausted already.

"Stop!" shouts a deep voice, and you cry out in alarm, grabbing the hilt of your kodachi with trembling hand and spinning around. Before you stands a man in a footsoldier's uniform, and you let out a sigh of relief. The Satsuma and Choshu wear much more western garb, which means this man is an ally.

He's frowning at you in undisguised suspicion, but you're sure that once you explain yourself, he'll be able to help you. "I'm sorry I surprised you," you manage, still breathing hard, "but I need to ask you something." You draw yourself up as tall as you can, to your full height of just over five feet, and look him in the eye. "Have you seen the Shinsengumi around here? I got separated from my division—"

But the man doesn't let you finish, his expression clearing. "Enemy sighted!" he shouts. "I got a guy from the Shinsengumi!"

"What?!" you exclaim, staring—uncomprehending. Your shock thankfully lasts only a moment before you turn and run. No matter his reasons for referring to you as an enemy, you have no doubt that things will just get worse if you stand around and wait for reinforcements to arrive.

Only as you keep zigzagging through the trees, breathless and confused, does the horrible truth dawn on you. If men who are supposed to be your allies are opposing the Shinsengumi, they can only have betrayed you. They've realized that the shogunate's army is going to lose, and chose to switch to the winning side. Your stomach heaves at the thought, but you don't have either time or strength to retch.

You give a ragged gasp as another footsoldier appears from the bushes in front of you, skidding to an abrupt halt. "Catch him!" calls the first soldier from behind you, and you glance back to find him hot on your heels. "He's from the Shinsengumi!"

Scanning the area around you for somewhere to run, you find no escape. "You…" you begin, out of breath, struggling to keep your voice calm as your hands shake, and draw your sword—as much for the sake of holding onto something as to vent your fury. "You abandoned the shogunate. You betrayed us!"

A flash of guilt crosses their faces. "There's no shogunate left to betray!" shouts one of the men, his grip tightening on his sword. "I decide who my allies and enemies are now!"

"E-even if the shogunate isn't in power anymore," you retort, voice rising, "they protected you when they were! How can you forget that?!" You swallow, panting, but persevere. "You were a samurai, right? Then you took advantage of the shogunate's protection! And now you'll just turn your back on someone you owe so much to?" You pause to glare at each and every soldier. "How can you call yourselves samurai?"

Maybe it's the adrenaline, but yelling at these traitors feels so much more important than you ever could have imagined—so much so that even your terror has been momentarily drowned out amid your tirade. The people you know in the Shinsengumi are _true_ samurai, you think angrily, whatever their titles. These soldiers barely even deserve to be called men.

No matter your contempt for them, however, they unfortunately don't seem to be particularly cowed by your speech. Instead, they're in the midst of exchanging confused frowns, plainly not listening at all. "That's a pretty high voice for a boy," remarks one soldier. "Is that a girl?"

"Yeah, I think you're right," agrees another, looking you up and down. "Dunno why she's dressed like a boy."

"Does it really matter whether I'm a boy or a girl?" you snap, glaring at them—annoyed that their attention has snagged on such a minor detail instead of the content of your rant. Whether you're male or female, you speak the truth, and that's worth recognizing far more than your gender.

"Hey! We got a girl over here!" bellows a third footsoldier. "Come take a look!" Summoned by his words, more men appear out of the forest, curious to see what the commotion is.

"She says she's from the Shinsengumi," explains the first soldier. "If we can capture her and turn her over to the Satsuma, then we might get a reward." They talk amongst themselves, sending the occasional leer your way, but there's nowhere you can run. As exhausted as you are, they'll catch you before you can take two steps together. It's better to conserve your energy for the fight to come.

"Yeah, not a bad idea, but… I think maybe we should, uh, make sure she's a girl first," grins one of the soldiers. The look they give you then is not difficult to interpret, and you clench your fists, thoughts racing.

Even _if_ you survive this encounter, you have no illusions about your fate should they capture you—but your anger is still stronger than your fear. No matter what happens to you, you're going to fight until you die… and if you have to die on the sword of a coward, you're going to take as many of them with you as possible. You take a deep breath, assume a combat stance, and wait for it to begin.

One of the soldiers lunges for you, and you brace yourself… but a gunshot rings out, and he falls dead before he gets within a few feet. So do the four others closest to you, each collapsing before they can even react—shot through the head, or the heart, with deadly precision. You've only ever met one man possessed of that kind of marksmanship, but his name doesn't even cross your mind until he jumps down from the tree next to you.

…Shiranui. "What are you doing here, girl demon?" he asks, raising his eyebrows in apparent surprise, and you realize your mouth is hanging slightly open. Your lips form his name, but you can't find your voice. You can't even tell how you feel about his sudden appearance, much less whether he looks more annoyed or astonished or… apathetic.

"What are you?!" demands the first footsoldier, brandishing his sword.

"Sh-she's ours!" adds another, more nervously still. "Just back off and you won't get hurt!"

Shiranui rolls his eyes at the men as they back away, clearly unprepared to stand behind their threats. "Yeah, right," he tells them. Five more shots crack like thunder in quick succession, and three of them fall where they stand. The other two try to run, and each gets a bullet in the leg for their trouble. They fall, scrambling back as fast as they can, breaths coming quick and panicked.

Sauntering up to the first one, Shiranui smirks, but says nothing. "I… I'm s-sorry!" whimpers the soldier, on his knees and visibly shaking even from a distance, flinching as the barrel of the gun brushes his forehead. "Please, l-let me go! I—I'll do anything!"

"Pathetic," sneers Shiranui, and fires: the soldier crumples to the ground. "You humans are all the same," he continues, turning to the last remaining survivor and twirling his gun as he approaches at a leisurely pace. "Switching sides at the drop of a hat just to get the edge on one another. I've just about had it with this bullshit. Any last words?" he adds nonchalantly, aiming at the soldier's chest without so much as looking—but, frozen in fear, the cornered man can say nothing.

"Shiranui!" you exclaim, his name wrenching itself out of you before you even register the wish to stop him. You may despise these so-called men, but to be tortured and toyed with like this… you're not sure even they deserve that, especially if they don't understand the reason they should die. "Please, don't—"

"Boring," interrupts Shiranui, not listening to you but to the shallow breaths of his prey, and another bullet pierces the man's heart. Shiranui turns casually away from their corpses and reaches for a pouch of bullets at his belt, expertly starting the process of reloading—shooting a glance at you now and again, as if waiting for you to say or do something.

You stare flatly back, refusing to lower your guard. Last time you met, he would almost certainly have killed you had the Fury Corps not intervened at the last minute, and he just murdered about ten men in front of you. Eventually, Shiranui finishes reloading his pistol, stows it back in its holster, and tilts his head. "You seem kinda spaced out tonight, so I'll ask you again," he tells you. "What are you doing here?"

"O-oh," you say, having completely forgotten he asked, and mull over your possible responses. Until recently, Shiranui was working with the Choshu, so you don't want to tell him anything about the Shinsengumi, but… he just saved your life. It doesn't feel fair to refuse to tell him anything at all. "I was thinking of going to Yodo Castle," you tell him eventually, your voice unexpectedly weak. You'll answer his question if you have to, but you won't volunteer any more information than he asks.

Shiranui scrutinizes your wary expression for several more seconds, then laughs. "I couldn't care less where you're headed," he tells you, but continues before you can be either confused or annoyed. "What I'm _asking_ is whether the humans finally threw you away like the burden you were. Since you're running around out here in the middle of the forest, alone."

You swallow a sudden lump in your throat at the reminder of your exchange a few evenings ago. "It's not their fault!" you exclaim, rankling at his implied insult. "I… I got lost."

Shiranui's persistent grin becomes an unpleasant chuckle. "And _I_ protected you," he says, shaking his head. "See, humans break their promises all the time, but we demons gotta look out for each other. Can't let a gang of idiots get the better of a girl like you."

There's no more malice than usual in his smile, but you aren't anywhere near ready to trust him. Still, you can't deny that without his intervention you would almost certainly have died, and he seems to have paused in anticipation of gratitude. "Um… thank you," you tell him stiffly, giving a quick and shallow bow. "For saving me."

Shiranui raises his eyebrows. "It'd be a little easier for me to believe you if you put that away that sword," he tells you. "Not that I think you could use it, but you don't need it right now anyway. I don't feel like killing you, or whatever it is you're afraid I might do." Looking down at your hands, you realize that you haven't yet sheathed your blade, and debate whether to obey.

If Shiranui intended to kidnap or kill you, he could easily have done so already… and he _did_ save you. Even so, you only slide the blade back into its scabbard somewhat reluctantly. "So what are you gonna do now?" he asks, so conversationally that you are reminded of your first encounter with the Shinsengumi—a calm discussion with killers, standing among their equally cruel victims.

You frown slightly; why should he ask after your plans? Less than a minute ago, he specifically told you that he doesn't care where you're going. Still, you know enough about Shiranui's volatile moods to know he changes his mind more quickly than anyone else you know, and you don't dare refuse to answer him. "I need to join the rest of the Shinsengumi as soon as I can," you say.

Shiranui rolls his shoulders in a shrug, his grin widening. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he tells you.

"Why not?" you respond, narrowing your eyes. His words are slippery; it feels as if he's insulting the Shinsengumi, but you can't quite figure out _how_. Of course, he has no say in your decisions, but… if he has a reason to dissuade you, it's probably a good idea to ask what it is.

"The Satsuma already control the land between here and Yodo Castle," says Shiranui casually. "You'd have to make your way through an army before you find your friends, and I don't care how fast you heal—as reckless as you are, you're gonna get yourself killed."

You stare at your feet, crestfallen at the sense in his words. Without Shiranui's help, the enemy soldiers lying dead around you would have been your murderers. Your chances of surviving another such encounter are very low. "Let me tell you a little secret," remarks Shiranui, sobering enough for you to believe that whatever he's about to say is no joke. "Yodo Castle is about to switch sides."

"What?" you ask, brought up short. You've encountered more than enough gutless betrayers already without adding the Yodo to the list. "No," you add, as if your desperate denial can change the truth you know deep down. "They wouldn't."

"The Yodo Domain's gonna be buddies with the Satsuma and Choshu soon," returns Shiranui. "Your friends won't be able to get into the castle, and even _they_ are smart enough to know when they're beaten. Unless they like being stuck between an advancing enemy and a locked gate, they'll retreat." He smiles again, but something about it seems sad. "Even if you did manage to reach them, you'd just get in the way again. And besides, they probably left you behind on purpose."

You narrow your eyes suspiciously, but decide that asking outright whether he's lying might well get you shot. "If the Yodo Domain is going to betray them, then that just means I really have to hurry," you tell him instead. Shiranui frowns, but you continue before he can speak. "The Shinsengumi don't know they've been betrayed, but if I can tell them… maybe they can get away safely."

"You don't get it, do you?" sighs Shiranui, shaking his head slowly. "Here, let me show you." Gesturing for you to follow, he turns and starts walking. You hesitate for a moment; if he intends to harm you, now's your chance to escape. But if Shiranui wanted to do that, he could easily have done so already, and he already said he didn't feel like killing you. You nod quickly to yourself, perhaps as reassurance, and set off after him.

…Calling whatever Shiranui is following a 'path' would be generous. At best, he simply seems to be heading _up_. "The imperial court sent some secret message to all the domains in Kyoto," he explains, after a long and uncharacteristic silence while you walk. "It said the Satsuma-Choshu army's raising the imperial battle standard, or something. That happened right before they kicked me out, so I don't know the details."

"The imperial battle standard?!" you exclaim, brought up short. The imperial court only grants the standard to armies who act specificially in its name. Anyone opposing an army marching under it is a criminal and a traitor. Even domains that had been especially loyal to the shogunate are likely wavering. "Then… you're saying that the imperial court believes in what the Satsuma and Choshu are trying to do?"

"Beats me," shrugs Shiranui. "I can never tell what those humans are thinking, and what's more, I don't really care. All I know is that this means the Imperial Army's got this in the bag." He smiles, as though you're just talking about the weather. "And _that_ means your friends in the Shinsengumi are gonna lose everything."

You don't want to believe that the domains who had been loyal to the shogunate for so long would betray it so easily, but you're reluctant to voice your thoughts out of fear that Shiranui will rip away your last shreds of optimism. As he stops some distance in front of you, you tentatively advance to stand beside him; you've reached the top of a hill, overlooking the city. "Have a look, then look me in the eye and say all that again," he invites you, gesturing out in front of you.

"Oh no," you gasp, taking in the destruction. Below you is Kyoto, engulfed in the fires of war. Cannons boom and rifles crack, and shogunate soldiers fall as the fire stretches higher and higher, licking at the sky. Shiranui lets you watch in horror for a moment, then leans down so his head is level with yours and points at a group of cannons and riflemen.

"That's the Yodo," he says, and all remaining hope that he was lying vanishes like smoke into the sky. Looking down at the scene before you, there is no question that he was telling you the truth after all: it will be pointless to find the Shinsengumi now. "This war is pretty much over," he continues. "The Satsuma and Choshu will win. Your friends can throw their lives away all they want, but it's not gonna change a damn thing."

"Why did this happen?" you murmur. Lord Yoshinobu capitulated to their initial demands, and ceded power to the imperial court; it should be clear to everyone that he has no intention of opposing the emperor. "Why did the emperor give them the imperial battle standard?" you continue, more audibly. Anyone who supports the forces of the shogun will be considered criminals, now.

"Didn't I already tell you I don't know?" asks Shiranui, not as unkindly as you'd have expected. "The Satsuma and Choshu have history with the Tokugawa, and they've hated their guts for centuries—doesn't matter why." He shrugs. "My guess is that the imperial court figures it'll be easier to get them to cooperate if they offer them the chance for revenge."

"I thought that Lord Yoshinobu was on good terms with the emperor," you say, mostly to yourself. Compared to his predecessors, at least, he's always been happy to cooperate with the court. "And there were people fighting for the Tokugawa who'd devoted their lives to the emperor." The Shinsengumi, for instance, always tried to honor the emperor even as they served the shogun; they'd never intended to defy the imperial court.

Shiranui stretches. "That doesn't matter, either," he says, quietly, but you can't interpret his tone. "None of us matter. Not demons, not the Shinsengumi. Nobody." Even if you don't like what the imperial court decides, there's nothing you can do to change what's happening to your country. You are powerless. Despair makes your heart ache, and you press your hand against it as if to hold yourself together.

"It's not over yet," you say, mustering what remains of your resolution—perhaps hoping that Shiranui will acknowledge that there is a glimmer of hope left. "There are a lot of soldiers left at Osaka Castle, and there are more in Edo, if we can get back there."

"All rebels and traitors," says Shiranui dismissively. "Look, girl demon, this whole country will become their enemy. It's over. See?" he adds, pointing, as a raucous cheer drifts up to you from the city below. "They've raised the imperial standard. The emperor will give the order to destroy your friends soon, and they'll follow it."

The air, thick with the soot of the burning city and the sweat, blood, and anger of the two armies, presses down on you—smothering you—like a heavy blanket. You don't know what you can possibly say, but there's no need; Shiranui speaks first. "Anyway, I'll be heading off to Edo now," he tells you, although his tone is oddly apprehensive. "I can take you, but…"

"Please," you say, even before he finishes talking; the mention of your hometown has awakened a sad and urgent nostalgia within you. " _Please_ take me with you." If the majority of the shogunate's remaining forces are in Edo, perhaps the Shinsengumi are going there as well.

Shiranui tilts his head. "I mean, I did try to offer," he responds, strangely serious, "but I was also gonna warn you, going home might not be everything you hoped for. And if you get in my way even once, I'm leaving you behind and never looking back." He crosses his arms, staring you down coolly. "Still wanna come with me?"

You nod, hesitating only for a split second. An escort to Edo is more than you ever dared to hope for, and even the prospects of enduring Shiranui's unpredictable companionship seem better than solitude. Shiranui's eyes soften slightly as he looks you up and down, and a faint smile plays about his lips, but he remains silent for several moments. Maybe he's judging whether you're serious… or stupid.

"All right then," Shiranui announces finally, cracking his knuckles. "First thing's first, you gotta learn to actually use your demon powers, so I won't have to save your ass again. And speaking of your ass," he adds, "you're dressing like a girl again the second we hit Edo."

"Wh-what?" you stammer, utterly disarmed. That took a turn you never could have anticipated.

Shiranui's smile widens as you blush. "You look damn good in a proper kimono, you know," he says. "Don't think I've forgotten the way you looked in that geisha getup however many years ago. And by the way, you still owe me one for bailing you out back there," he continues. "Wearing girls' clothes again can be your repayment, unless you have something against dressing like the demon princess you are."

You scowl at him, but you know he's right… at least about the fact that you owe him. You have your doubts about whether or not you really looked _that_ good as a geisha, but you're not about to question his taste lest you accidentally insult him. Besides, even if you're not about to admit it aloud, the idea of dressing like a princess of any kind—demon or not—is admittedly enticing. You hadn't considered before now that you are, technically speaking _,_ the princess of the eastern demons, and Sen's equal. (You wonder whether she's all right, but quickly force your thoughts elsewhere to avoid worrying too much.)

Having been reminded of the fact that you're in Shiranui's debt, you realize that you can't remember whether you thanked him for agreeing to take you home yet. Amid the haze of exhaustion and excitement, not to mention dealing with his unexpected compliments, you can hardly think straight anymore. "Um… thank you for helping me," you tell him, bowing deeply.

When you come back up, you see Shiranui struggling to suppress a laugh. "Oh, I'm not doing it for you," he chortles, deflecting your gratitude. "Making this trip on my own would be boring as hell, but _you're_ fun to mess with. Now, let's get going," he adds, before you can have second thoughts about whatever you've gotten yourself into, and turns to lead the way. "To Edo."

* * *

 _This started out as a tiny oneshot project for AlexTheOtaku, but quickly spiraled into an entire route and then some. Gods know how often I'll update, but it's out there now, for all you unfulfilled Shiranui/Chizuru fans._


	2. First Night, First Light

You hear the wind rustle the leaves moments before you feel it brush against your cheek. You don't know where you are, and what's more, you don't much care; all that matters is that you're not with the Shinsengumi. All you can do is wonder, and worry. Did they manage to reunite after Toba-Fushimi, and head for Edo together…?

As branches smack against your skin, you realize your nervousness has sped up your pace. Despite the darkness and the rough path, your leaden feet and struggling steps, you ignore the stinging scrapes and press on… but Shiranui stops you in your tracks, his hand closing around your wrist. His fingers are cold and strong like steel, and you almost jump out of your skin: it's the first time he's ever touched you.

"Hey, hey, calm down," he tells you, speaking as much to your reaction as your general mood. "Keep up like this, and you'll tire yourself out. In case you haven't noticed, this part of the forest has no paths—which means this trek is hard enough already without you getting all exhausted on me." He smiles sharply, and you shiver. "You don't _want_ me to leave you behind, do you?"

You shake your head mutely, a request to go farther evaporating from your tongue. If you push him too far, you have no doubt he'll make good on his threat to abandon you, and the thought of isolation in a time this turbulent is is not a pleasant one. "There's a dark shape over that way that looks like a house or something," continued Shiranui, jerking his head sideways through the trees. "Let's go check it out."

Without further ado, he pulls you down the hill after him, and you almost cry out. You lose your balance a few times, but Shiranui's grip on your arm—painful as it may be whenever you stumble—at least keeps you upright. When you finally arrive at the building he spotted, you discover that it is covered in dust, and shows no signs of having been inhabited for a very long time. You're not sure whether that's better or worse than finding it still in use.

"Um," you manage, staring around apprehensively as Shiranui finally releases you. Not that you're particularly afraid of ghosts, but it's been a long night, and this place doesn't seem like it'll be either safe or comfortable. "Is it really okay for us to just break in…?"

Shiranui shrugs. "I've done a lot worse than break into an abandoned house," he points out nonchalantly, forcing open the door and glancing around the interior before stepping inside. "Nobody'll know or care if we crash here for the night. Besides, look," he adds, beckoning you forward, and you dare to approach and take a look inside. "It's even got beds. You gonna turn that down?"

Much as you hate to admit it, Shiranui is right. You'd be a fool to pass up lodgings like this, especially since you'll probably have your fair share of sleeping on the ground before you get back to your house in Edo. As you head inside and do your best to shut the door behind you, Shiranui leans over the hearth, which seems as unused as the rest of the house.

You can't think of anything to talk about, so you keep quiet and look around silently for something to distract you… but it's not long before you become restless. You still feel vaguely uncomfortable with the idea of staying in someone else's home without their knowledge, but that pales in comparison to your unease at being alone with Shiranui in a house in the middle of the forest.

"What's wrong, girl demon?" he asks, as if reading your thoughts, and you start. He's not even looking at you; how can he tell? "You're all fidgety."

"O-oh, no!" you manage, shaking your head vehemently. You know you're a terrible liar, but it's better than accidentally insulting him or something. "A-anyway, um, what are you doing over there?" you continue, a little too quickly. You haven't actually been looking at him, so you don't know what he's up to; you figure it's as good a way to continue the conversation as any.

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Shiranui, raising his eyebrows, but glances up at you only for a second. "Starting a fire. I'll be fine, but a tiny thing like you might not last the night."

"Y-you're building a fire just for me?" you ask, blinking a few times rapidly as you try to discern his motivation. Is he really that concerned about you? If your only value is in entertainment, that _can't_ be enough reason for him to accommodate your needs like this. Have you inadvertently gotten his his way already? Is he going to abandon you as soon as you fall asleep? Is that why he insisted you rest for the night, despite not seeming tired in the least…?

"You keep making a face like that, it's gonna freeze that way," remarks Shiranui, and you realize with a jolt that his eyes have been trained on your face for who knows how long. "Here, come sit by the fire."

"Oh, o-okay," you stutter, shuffling over to the firepit, and sit down a safe distance away from him. To your surprise, Shiranui does not look at you, instead staring into the heart of the flames. As you watch the firelight flickering on his face, you reflect on how you know almost nothing about him and the other demons. To you, for a long time, they were only figures who appeared occasionally to stand in the way of the Shinsengumi… and to attempt to capture you.

It had been Shiranui whom had first changed that mindset, not too long ago. _What makes you think I'd lift a finger for that asshole?_ he snorts in your mind. As authoritative as Kazama can be, it's becoming clearer to you that not all demons share his ambition. "Shiranui," you say; your voice may be faint, but it's steady enough. "Could you tell me about… demons?"

"The hell kind of question is that?" asks Shiranui. Though his words could easily be harsh, his tone is strangely soft, and you find yourself caught off-guard by his gentleness.

"W-well, I'm a demon too, right? But I don't really feel like one," you begin, tentatively. You have your doubts as to whether you even _want_ to be one, since everyone seems to think they're monsters, but that's another matter entirely. "And until I met you and… the others, I didn't even know demons existed. I still don't really understand what they—we—are. I think it's only natural to want to know more about you."

After a moment or two of strange silence, Shiranui turns his face until his amethyst eyes are looking directly into yours, and you have to force yourself not to turn away. "I have no idea where demons came from, or why they settled here," he shrugs. "All I know is that ever since they did, humans and demons have been at each other's throats. Demons are superior any way you cut it, but there are a _lot_ more humans."

You nod, somewhat uncertainly, but Shiranui does not seem to have been pausing in search of a reaction. "Eventually, somebody with some brains finally said demons should live in isolation," he continues. "Then, except for a few idiots who took the fight to the humans and got themselves killed, there was peace. Those are probably the demons you hear about in legends."

What had gone through the minds of those ancient demons as they chose to withdraw from the rest of the world…? Shiranui's story, while informative, has given you far more questions than answers. "If the demons went into hiding," you begin, "then why were you and your friends fighting alongside the Choshu and Satsuma?" If the demons really are trying to stay in hiding, taking sides seems like a bad idea.

Shiranui narrows his eyes. "Okay, first off, those two idiots are _not_ my friends," he growls. "I hate those bastards; I only worked with them because I had to. Anyway, the Choshu have protected my clan for a couple hundred years, just like the Satsuma have protected Kazama and Amagiri's people," he continues. "Kazama and Amagiri decided to repay their debts of honor, and I guess you could say I was doing the same, except…"

He gives a long and lingering sigh, and for a moment, you don't think he'll speak again… but eventually, he bows his head as if in contemplation or remembrance. "I only did it for my _real_ friend," murmurs Shiranui, and he sounds almost sad. "I swear I mentioned him before. The point is, any debt I might've owed him—them—is more than repaid at this point. I'm moving on."

You both stare at the fire as it hisses and crackles in the hearth, and though you know the discussion is over, you can't bear to succumb to silence so soon. Perhaps it would be better to change the subject… at least, sort of. If Shiranui does end up abandoning you tonight, there's at least one more thing you'd like to know first.

"I think Sen told me that the Yukimura family is from a famous line," you venture eventually. "Do you know anything about us?" When she informed you that you're the scion of the most powerful demon clan in the east, you were shocked, of course—especially since your father never mentioned anything about it. If Shiranui knows more, you want to hear it.

"Nope," he responds, almost scoffing at you, and you're surprised at the immediacy of his response. "I may be a demon, but that doesn't mean I know every other demon. Your folks are from the east, and mine are from the west, so it's not like we were best buddies even _before_ your village went up in flames."

"Wait," you say, staring at him, and your heart almost stops dead. "My…" You can't finish the sentence. _What_? How could he say such a thing so casually?

Shiranui curses under his breath, as if he's said more than he intended—but thankfully, he chooses to continue instead of telling you to forget about it. Perhaps he knows that won't be possible for you. "Yeah, I don't know the particulars, but the humans burned down the place… I can't remember when," he tells you. "It caused a pretty big stir in the demon community, though. How old are you, fifteen?"

"Twenty," you say, miffed. You know you've always looked young for your age, but you'll be twenty-one in a few months. It'd be nice if he didn't underestimate _that_ severely, even in jest.

"Yeah, yeah," says Shiranui, waving a hand dismissively, but his expression turns somber. "Then this was probably like, a little more than fifteenish years ago. Some idiots killed everyone in your hometown and torched the place after your folks chose not to help them out in their stupid human conflict, or something. It pissed a lot of us off, but it's not like we could do anything about it."

Your thoughts race as he speaks, and your heart beats too quickly, but you can't for the life of you think of how to respond. You don't want to believe that anyone could be so cruel as to destroy an entire village for such petty reasons—but despite your shock and skepticism, it _feels_ deeply, undeniably true. You drown out the faint and bitter voice that remarks that perhaps Shiranui is right about humans after all, and force your thoughts back to the situation at hand.

"I can't believe Kodo seriously raised you like a human," mutters Shiranui, running an agitated hand through his perpetually messy hair. " _Kodo_ , of all people. He hates them more than anyone. Why didn't he tell you about any of this…?" It sounds like he's talking more to himself than you—but his smoldering eyes snap back to your face as soon as yours alight on his. "Never mind," decides Shiranui. "We're leaving bright and early tomorrow morning, so you should turn in."

"Y-yes, I suppose you're right," you say, reluctantly. You want more than anything to ask more questions, but it's late, and you'll need your sleep if you're going to make any decent progress tomorrow. You'll have to take it on faith that Shiranui will still be here when you wake up. You're halfway to the futon when a sudden realization dawns on you. "W-wait," you say, stopping short. "You mean I should sleep _here_?"

"Where else?" asks Shiranui, quirking an eyebrow. "Would you rather sleep outside?"

"Well, no, but…" you begin, trailing off as you try to find some way of articulating your concerns without offending him. Shiranui is a man and, despite your clothing, you're still a woman. Sleeping in the same small room as a man who is still effectively a stranger—if not an adversary—is cause for at least a little trepidation.

In the most dignified manner you can manage, you drag your chosen bed across the room to the other side of the hearth. Shiranui watches you with dawning understanding, quickly overtaken by irrepressible amusement. It's maddening that he finds your nervousness so entertaining, but you don't dare say anything.

"Relax," grins Shiranui, all traces of previous solemnity by now vanished. "If I wanted to mess with you, I could do it anytime I liked, and there's not a damn thing you could do to stop me. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to worry about the things you can't change?" You almost trip, your heart skipping a terrified beat, and he gives a sigh. "Look, I'm not gonna touch you tonight," he adds. "You have my word, or whatever it'll take for you to believe me. Okay?"

"O-okay," you mumble, unsure what to think or how to feel; his tone is unexpectedly kind. Obviously, you don't trust him… but it's not like you have any real alternatives, so you climb into bed and close your eyes.

The world outside is completely silent; you can't even hear the soft noises of birds or insects. The only sound is the crackle of the campfire, and though you can't help but imagine a burning town long since forgotten, you still find yourself drifting off out of exhaustion before too long. After all, you think—your last conscious thought—if you want to catch up to the Shinsengumi, you'll need whatever rest you can get.

* * *

You snap awake, feeling as though you've only been asleep for a few minutes, but there's a beam of bright sunlight coming in through the window, and you can hear birds singing.

"Is… is it morning?" you yawn. Your body feels better, even if you're a little disoriented. A rush of relief floods you as you realize that Shiranui, for whatever reason, is still there. (You can count the times you've been this glad to see Shiranui on one hand.) In fact, he doesn't seem to have moved since you closed your eyes—although he stirs as soon as you speak.

"Wow, you're an early riser," he tells you, getting to his feet and cracking his back. You wince on his behalf at the sound of several pops and snaps from his stiff bones, but it doesn't seem to bother him in the slightest. "As soon as you're awake enough to walk, we're leaving. Can't afford to stay anywhere for long."

You sit up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. "D-did you sleep at all?" you ask, making an effort to straighten out your bedhead before you realize that even having been slept on, your hair is probably still tidier than Shiranui's.

"Mighta rested my eyes once or twice," he replies, raising his eyebrows at your feeble attempt to go through at least part of your morning ritual. "I can't really afford to doze off when I'm sitting guard and tending the fire, though. Now, why don't you hurry up and get ready to head out," he adds, sauntering outside before you can so much as thank him. "I'll be waiting."

You watch him go, almost entranced. Despite your misgivings, you're beginning to think Shiranui isn't an evil person under all those layers of unpredictability and intimidation. You find yourself smiling in spite of yourself; you haven't felt this optimistic since you were separated from your friends. Now that the day has officially begun, however, it's time to focus on the task at hand: catching up to the Shinsengumi.


End file.
